1 degree to overlap.
Stand by to photograph.
Now.
Three days of this now, sir.
Other ships must have made star maps of some of this.
Negative, Lieutenant.
We are the first to reach this far.
[Beeping]
Sir, contact with an object.
It's moving toward us.
No visual contact yet.
Deflectors, full intensity.
It's coming at light speed.
Collision course.
Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Sulu.
Object changing direction, too, sir.
Keeps coming at us.
No signal from it, sir.
Still collision course.
Deflectors aren't stopping it.
Sound alarm.
It's slowing down, Mr. Spock.
Countermand alarm.
All engines full stop.
Visual contact.
Ahead slow.
Steer a course around it, Mr. Sulu.
It's blocking the way!
Quite unnecessary to raise your voice, Mr. Bailey.
All engines stop.
Sound the alert.
Bridge to all decks-- condition alert.
All decks-- condition alert.
Captain Kirk to the bridge.
Space-- the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
Its five-year mission--
to explore strange new worlds...
to seek out new life and new civilizations...
to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Captain's Log, star date 1512.2.
On our third day of star mapping,
an unexplained cubical object
blocked our vessel's path.
On the bridge,
Mr. Spock immediately ordered general alert.
My location--sick bay.
Quarterly physical check.
Whew!
Just a few seconds more.
Just a few seconds more.
[Grumbling]
That's a boy. Keep it up.
A little sweat will do you good.
You're killing me.
You're killing me.
Stop.
Winded?
You'd be the last one I'd tell.
Kirk here. What's going on?
Have a look at this, Captain.
What's that?
Undetermined.
Whatever it is, it's blocking our way.
When we move, it moves.
A vessel of some kind?
Negative. More some type of device.
I'll be right up.
You could see the alarm lights.
Why didn't you tell me?
Finally finished a physical on you.
What am l, a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor?
If I jumped every time a light came on,
I'd end up talking to myself.
All decks alert.
[Alarm Sounds]
All decks alert.
Bridge.
Captain to Bridge.
Spock here.
Any changes?
Negative.
It seems to want to hold us here.
Any indication of danger?
Negative.
I'll change first then.
Captain out.
All decks have reported green, Mr. Bailey.
Yes, sir.
The captain will expect a full report on--
The cube's range and position.
I'll have it by then.
Raising my voice back there
doesn't mean I was scared or couldn't do my job.
It means I have a human thing
called an adrenaline gland.
It sounds most inconvenient.
Have you considered having it removed?
Very funny.
You try to cross brains with Spock,
he'll cut you to pieces every time.
Captain to Bridge.
Spock here.
Signs of life?
Negative.
Have you tried all hailing frequencies?
Affirmative.
No answer.
Have the department heads meet me on the bridge.
Already standing by.
[Beeping]
Reporting, sir.
Sensors show it is solid,
but its composition is unknown to us.
Lieutenant Uhura.
Hailing frequencies still open, sir.
I get no message from it.
Navigation.
Distance from us-- 1,593 meters, position constant.
Each of its edges measures 107 meters.
Mass, a little under 11,000 metric tons.
Scotty.
Mode of power.
Beats me what makes it go.
I'll buy speculation.
I'd sell it if I had any.
That's a solid cube.
How it can sense us coming,
block us, move when we move--
it beats me.
That's my report.
Life sciences.
Same report.
Sir, we going to just let it hold us here?
We've got phaser weapons.
I vote we blast it.
I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Bailey,
when this becomes a democracy.
Captain's Log, star date 1513.8.
Star maps reveal no indication
of habitable planets nearby.
Origin and purpose of the cube
still unknown.
We've been here, held motionless, for 18 hours.
Anything further, gentlemen?
I believe it adds up to either one of two possibilities.
First, a space buoy of some kind.
Second?
Flypaper.
And you don't recommend sticking around.
Negative.
It would make us appear too weak.
It's time for action, gentlemen.
Mr. Bailey--
Bridge to Phaser Gun Crew--
Countermand.
I'll select what kind of action.
I'm sorry, sir. I thought--
Are you explaining?
I haven't requested an explanation.
Now, as I was about to say, Navigator,
plot a spiral course away from the cube.
Yes, sir.
We'll try pulling away from it.
Helmsman to Engine Room,
stand by.
All decks alert.
We're going to try pulling away.
Course plotted and laid in, sir.
Engage, Mr. Sulu.
Quarter speed.
.25, sir.
Still blocking us, sir.
Let's see if it'll give way.
Ahead half speed.
.50, sir.
[Beeping]
Radiation from the short end of the spectrum increasing.
All stop. Hold position.
It's still coming toward us.
Range--190 meters.
Radiation increasing.
Power astern, half speed.
Half speed.
Radiation nearing the tolerance level.
Still coming.
Gaining on us.
Engines astern, full speed.
Full speed.
Range--125 meters now.
Helm, give us warp speed.
Warp one, sir.
Radiation at the tolerance level.
Warp two, sir.
Speed is now warp three.
Radiation passing the tolerance level,
entering lethal zone.
Range--51 meters and still closing, sir.
Phaser Crew stand ready.
Phaser Crew reports ready, sir.
Growing. We can take only a few more seconds.
Lock phasers on target.
Mr. Bailey, lock phasers!
Phasers locked on target, sir.
At point-blank range and closing.
Fire main phasers.
Captain's Log, star date 1514.0.
The cube has been destroyed.
Ship's damage--minor.
But my next decision--major.
Probe on ahead or turn back.
Nothing, Captain.
No contacts, no objects in any direction.
Care to speculate on what we'll find
if we go on ahead?
Speculate?
No.
Logically, we'll discover the intelligence
which sent out the cube.
Intelligence different from ours
or superior?
Probably both.
And if you're asking the logical decision to make--
No, I'm not.
The mission of the Enterprise
is to seek out and contact alien life.
Has it occurred to you
that there's a certain...inefficiency
in constantly questioning me on things
you've already made up your mind about?
It gives me emotional security.
Navigator, set a course ahead.
Plotted.
Laid in, sir.
Engage.
Warp one, sir.
Mr. Bailey--
Phaser crews were sluggish.
You were slow in locking them
into your directional beam.
Helmsman,
engineering decks could have been faster, too.
Program a series of simulated attacks
and evasion maneuvers.
Keep repeating the exercise
until we're proficient, gentlemen.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Your timing is lousy, Jim.
Your men are tired.
Captain's quarters.
Don't you always say
a little suffering is good for the soul?
I never say that.
This is the bridge.
Prepare for simulated attack.
I'm especially worried about Bailey.
Navigator's position's rough enough for a seasoned man.
I think he'll cut it.
Oh? How so sure?
Because you spotted something you liked in him,
something familiar,
Like yourself, say about, oh, 11 years ago?
On the double, deck five!
Give me a green light.
Why, Doctor, you've been reading your textbooks again?
I don't need textbooks
to know you could've promoted him too fast.
Listen to that voice.
Condition alert. Battle stations.
Engineering, deck five, report.
Phaser crews, come on, let's get with it.
Phaser station two, where's your green light?
What's next?
''They're not machines, Jim''?
Well, they're not.
After what they've been through--
Dr. McCoy, I've heard you say
that man is ultimately superior to any mechanical device.
No, I never say that, either.
I could've sworn I heard you say that.
[Communicator Signal]
Kirk here.
Exercise rating, Captain--94%.
Let's try for 100, Mr. Spock.
Agreed.
What are you going to do with that 6%?
I'm going to take it, and I'm going to--
Excuse me, sir.
It's past time you had something to eat, sir.
What the devil is this?
Green leaves?
It's dietary salad, sir.
Dr. McCoy changed your diet card.
I thought you knew.
Your weight was up a couple of pounds. Remember?
Will you stop hovering over me, Yeoman?
I'll change it if you don't like it.
Bring some for the doctor, too.
No, no. I never eat until the crew eats.
Thank you, Yeoman.
You're welcome, sir.
[Bailey] This is the bridge.
All decks prepare to better reaction time
on second simulated attack.
When I find the headquarters genius
that assigned me a female yeoman--
What's the matter, don't you trust yourself?
Battle stations.
Engineering decks alert...
I've already got a female to worry about.
Her name's the Enterprise.
Engineering decks alert.
Phaser crews, let's--
[Sulu] Countermand that.
All decks to battle stations.
This is not a drill.
Repeat--this is not a drill.
Kirk here.
[Spock] We're picking up an object, sir.
Much larger, coming toward us.
Coming.
Exceptionally strong contact.
Not visual yet.
Distant spectrograph.
Metallic, similar to cube.
Much greater energy reading.
There, sir.
Half speed.
Prepare for evasive action.
Reducing to warp two, sir.
Tractor beam, Captain.
Something's grabbed us--hard.
Engines overloading.
All engines stop.
All engines stopped, sir.
Phaser crews stand ready.
Bridge to phaser crews, stand ready.
Forward phaser, will comply.
All weapons at operational ready.
Fascinating.
What's its mass, Mr. Spock?
Reading goes off my scale.
Must be a mile in diameter.
Over 5,000 meters away,
and it still fills the screen.
Reduce image.
Let me see all of it.
Magnification 2.5, sir.
Magnification 18.5, sir.
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies open, sir.
This is the United Earth ship Enterprise.
We convey greetings and await your reply.
What is it?
A message...
coming over my navigation beam.
Pick it up.
Switching, sir.
...And trespassed into our star systems.
This is Balok,
commander of the flagship Fesarius
of the First Federation.
Your vessel, obviously the product
of a primitive and savage civilization,
having ignored a warning buoy
and having then destroyed it,
has demonstrated your intention is not peaceful.
We are now considering the disposition of your ship
and the life aboard.
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies open, sir.
This is the captain of the Enterprise speaking.
The warning nature of your space buoy was unknown to us.
Our vessel was blocked.
When we attempted to disengage--
[Static]
Captain, we're being invaded
by exceptionally strong sensor probes,
everywhere--
Our electrical systems, our engines--
No further communication will be accepted.
If there is the slightest hostile move,
your vessel will be destroyed immediately.
They're shutting off some of our systems, Captain.
Brilliant.
Extremely sophisticated in their methods.
Does the recorder marker have this on its tapes?
Enough to warn other Earth ships.
Mr. Bailey, dispatch recorder marker.
Mr. Bailey.
Uh, recorder marker dispatched, sir.
Marker on course.
Heading back the way we--
Your recorder marker has been destroyed.
You have been examined.
Your ship must be destroyed.
We make assumption you have a deity or deities
or some such beliefs which comfort you.
We therefore grant you
10 Earth time periods known as minutes
to make preparations.
Might be interesting to see what they look like
if I can locate where that voice is coming from.
Balok's message--
It was heard all over the ship.
Captain to crew.
Those of you who have served for long on this vessel
have encountered alien life-forms.
You know the greatest danger facing us is ourselves,
an irrational fear of the unknown.
But there's no such thing as the unknown--
only things temporarily hidden,
temporarily not understood.
In most cases we have found
that intelligence capable of a civilization
is capable of understanding peaceful gestures.
Surely a life-form advanced enough for space travel
is advanced enough
to eventually understand our motives.
All decks stand by.
Captain out.
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies open, sir.
This is the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
We came seeking friendship.
But we have no wish to trespass.
To demonstrate our goodwill,
our vessel will now return the way it came.
We--
[High-pitched Sound]
Lay in a course ahead, Mr. Bailey.
What?
A course?
Plotted and laid in, sir.
Engage, warp factor one.
Warp factor--
There's no response.
Switch to impulse.
All engine systems show dead.
And weapon systems.
Switching to screen.
I believe I can get something visual.
You are wasting time and effort.
There is no escape.
You have eight Earth minutes left.
I was curious to see how they appeared.
Yes, of course you were.
I don't understand this.
Spock's wasting time.
Everybody else just sitting around.
Somebody's got to do something.
Easy, Bailey.
What do they want? Let's find out.
They want us to lose our heads.
We've only got eight minutes left.
7 minutes and 45 seconds.
He's doing a countdown!
Practically end of watch.
Are you all out of your minds?
End of watch?
It's the end of everything.
What are you, robots? Wound-up toy soldiers?
Don't you know when you're dying?
Watch and regulations and orders--
What do they mean?
Bailey, you're relieved!
Escort him to his quarters, Doctor.
Let's go.
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies open, sir.
This is the captain of the Enterprise speaking.
It is the custom of Earth people
to try and avoid misunderstanding
whenever possible.
We destroyed your space buoy
as a simple act of self-preservation.
When we attempted to move away from it,
it emitted radiation harmful to our species.
If you've examined our ship and its tapes,
you know this to be true.
[Electronic Humming]
You now have seven minutes left.
4 minutes, 30 seconds.
You have an annoying fascination
for timepieces, Mr. Sulu.
Jim...
Four minutes.
What's the matter with them out there?
They must know we mean them no harm.
They're certainly aware by now
that we're totally incapable of it.
There must be something to do,
something I've overlooked.
In chess,
when one is outmatched, the game is over.
Checkmate.
Is that your best recommendation?
I'm sor--
I regret that I can find no other logical alternative.
Assuming we get out of this, Captain--
Nobody's given up yet.
Well, then about Bailey.
Let me enter it in my medical records
as simple fatigue.
That's my decision, Doctor.
And your mistake.
You overworked him, pushed him,
expected too much from him--
I'm ordering you to drop it.
I have no time for you, your theories,
your quaint philosophies...
I intend to challenge your actions in my records.
I'll state that I warned you.
That's no bluff.
Any time you can bluff me, Doctor--
Three minutes.
All right, Doctor.
Let's hope we have time to argue about it.
Not chess, Mr. Spock.
Poker.
Do you know the game?
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies open, sir.
This is the captain of the Enterprise.
Our respect for other life-forms
requires that we give you this warning.
One critical item of information
that has never been incorporated
into the memory banks of any Earth ship.
Since the early years of space exploration,
Earth vessels have had incorporated into them
a substance known as...
corbomite.
It is a material and a device
which prevents attack on us.
If any destructive energy touches our vessel,
a reverse reaction of equal strength
is created, destroying--
You now have two minutes.
Destroying the attacker!
It may interest you to know
that since the initial use of corbomite
more than two of our centuries ago,
no attacking vessel has survived the attempt.
Death has little meaning to us.
If it has none to you...
then attack us now.
We grow annoyed at your foolishness.
However, it was well played.
I regret not having learned more about this Balok.
He was reminiscent of my father.
May heaven have helped your mother.
Quite the contrary.
She considered herself
a very fortunate Earth woman.
Doc...
Sorry.
For having other things on your mind? My fault.
I don't how you keep from punching me in the face.
One minute.
I knew he would.
If anyone's interested...
30 seconds.
Request permission to return to post, sir.
Permission granted.
11...
10 seconds.
9...
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1.
A very interesting game, this poker.
It does have advantages over chess.
Love to teach it to you.
This is the commander of the Fesarius.
Here it comes. Is it raise or call?
The destruction of your vessel
has been delayed.
We will relent in your destruction
only if we have proof of your corbomite device.
Hold on that.
Let him sweat for a change.
Ship to ship.
Hailing frequencies, sir.
Request denied.
I have visual contact, Captain.
We will soon inform you
of our decision regarding your vessel.
And having permitted your primitive efforts
to see my form,
I trust it has pleased your curiosity.
And now,
another demonstration of our superiority.
I thought the power was off in the galley.
I used a hand phaser, and zap--hot coffee.
Something's going on, Captain.
It's a small ship.
About 2,000 metric tons.
It has been decided
that I will conduct you to a planet
of the First Federation
which is capable of sustaining
your life-form.
There you will disembark and be interned.
Your ship will be destroyed, of course.
Engine systems coming on, Captain.
Do not be deceived
by the size of this pilot vessel.
It has an equal potential to destroy your vessel.
Tractor beam again.
So that you may sustain
your gravity and atmosphere,
your systems are now open.
Escape is impossible
since you are being taken under our power
to your destination.
Any move to escape or destroy this ship
will result in the instant destruction
of the Enterprise and everyone aboard.
We're being towed, sir.
Captain's Log, star date 1514.1.
The Enterprise is in tow.
To this point,
no resistance has been offered.
My plan?
A show of resignation.
Balok's tractor beam has to be
a heavy drain of power on his small ship.
Question-- Will he grow careless?
He's pulling out a little ahead of us.
He's sneaked power down a bit.
Our speed is down to .64 of light.
I want a right angle course.
Shear away from him
no matter which way he turns.
Maximum acceleration when I give the word.
Yes, sir.
Engage.
It's a strain, Captain.
Engines are overloading.
More power.
We're superheating.
Intermix temperature, 7,400 degrees.
75...
76...
8,000 degrees.
Shear away, Mr. Bailey.
2,000 degrees above maximum.
84...
85...
86...
She'll blow soon!
Now, Mr. Sulu. Impulse power two.
We're breaking free, sir.
All engines stop.
All engines stopped, sir.
Engines need work badly, Captain.
Can you hold it here a few hours?
That may not be wise.
He signaled to the mother ship.
Then we're not home yet.
A signal, Captain.
It's very weak.
It's Balok.
It's a distress signal to the Fesarius.
His engines...are out...
His life-sustaining system
isn't operating.
The message is repeating, sir.
Any reply?
Negative. His signal is growing weak.
Sir, I doubt the mother ship heard it.
Plot a course for it, Mr. Bailey.
For it, Captain?
Dead ahead.
This is the captain speaking.
First Federation vessel is in distress.
We're preparing to board it.
There are lives at stake--
by our standards, alien life--
but lives nevertheless.
Captain out.
Course plotted and laid in, sir.
Mr. Scott, ready the transporter room.
Aye, sir.
Mr. Sulu, bring us to within 100 meters.
Ahead slow.
Ahead slow, sir.
Jim, don't you think--
What's the mission of this vessel, Doctor?
To seek out and contact alien life
and an opportunity to demonstrate
what our high-sounding words mean.
Any questions?
I'll take two men with me--
Dr. McCoy to examine and treat the aliens if necessary,
and you, Mr. Bailey.
Sir?
The face of the unknown.
I think I owe you a look at it.
Yes, sir.
Captain, request permission to--
Denied. If I'm wrong,
if it's a trap, I want you here.
Transporter ready?
Well, yes, sir, but it's risky.
We're locked into their main deck.
Air sample?
Breathable. In fact,
a slightly higher oxygen content than our own.
Communicator...
phaser weapon.
Thank you, Scotty. Ready, Doctor?
No, but you won't let that stop you.
Bend low, gentlemen.
It reads pretty cramped over there.
Ready to transport.
Energize.
It's a...dummy.
A puppet of some kind.
I'm Balok.
Welcome aboard.
I'm Captain Kirk.
And McCoy and Bailey.
Sit.
Be comfortable.
Go ahead.
Be seated.
We must drink.
This is tranya.
I hope you relish it as much as I.
Commander Balok...
I know, I know.
A thousand questions.
But first, the tranya.
Gentlemen.
Ahh...
Commander, that puppet...
My alter ego, so to speak.
In your culture,
he would be Mr. Hyde to my Jekyll.
You must admit he's effective.
You would never have been frightened by me.
And I thought my distress signal
quite clever.
It was a pleasure testing you.
Testing us?
I see.
I had to discover your real intentions.
But you probed our memory banks.
Your records could have been
a deception on your part.
And your crew?
I have no crew, Doctor.
I run everything,
this entire complex, from this small ship.
But I miss company.
Conversation.
Even an alien would be welcome.
Perhaps one of your men
for some period of time.
An exchange of information, cultures.
Yes. Both our cultures would benefit.
Do you know where we can find a volunteer, Mr. Bailey?
Me, sir. I'd like to volunteer.
Ah.
You represent Earth's best, then.
No, sir, I'm not.
I'll make plenty of mistakes.
But you'd find out more about us that way,
and I'd get a better officer in return.
I see.
We think much alike, Captain,
You and l.
Now, before I bring back the Fesarius,
let me show you my vessel.
It is not often I have this pleasure.
Yes, we're very much alike, Captain.
Both proud of our ships.